It's quite possible that President Obama's omission of a comprehensive immigration reform agenda in his State of the Union address is exactly the spark that immigration reform proponents needed to reinvigorate their efforts. Activist groups are drawing on their frustrations to develop new campaigns to bring immigration reform back to the forefront, as illustrated by Illlinois Representaive Luis Gutierrez's visit to Olvera Street in Los Angeles.
This single event brought together representatives from a broad array of immigration reform supporters, like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, labor unions, immigrant advocacy organizations and student activist groups. A similar trend seems to be occurring in other places, such as Illinois, where a student group, the Immigrant Youth Justice League, raised $243,000 on Saturday to bring 10,000 marchers to Washington, DC next month to lobby for immigration reform.
Perhaps neglecting to lay out an immigration reform agenda in his State of the Union address was the best thing president Obama could have done for immigration reform. The pressure on the president and on Congress will certainly continue to increase as a result.
When presidential candidate Barack Obama began his surge in the polls over a year ago, he captured the imagination of an entire nation with the phrase, "Yes we can," or "Si se Puede." Many across the country were energized. Few, however, recognized its origins and the significance it holds for immigrant Latinos. As I listened to Obama's State of the Union speech last week, it dawned on me that when it came to immigration reform, President Obama's message had changed from "Yes we can," to "No se puede," or "It can't be done."
Possibly in an effort to invigorate the Latino vote, Obama's campaign crafted a slogan inspired by the rally cry of immigrant agricultural workers fighting for labor rights. United Farm Workers (UFW) co-founders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta adopted the motto Si se Puede, or "Yes we can," in the 1970s for their labor rights campaigns to demand fair wages and better working conditions for agricultural workers. In the Latino community the term has come to symbolize the struggle against all forms of exploitation. Today it is a phrase that has reemerged to galvanize undocumented students across the country in their fight for access to citizenship and higher education.
It is precisely for that reason that many immigrant rights advocates were deeply disappointed by the near absence of an immigration reform agenda in the state of the union address. Understandably, the central theme of the speech was economic growth. In line with this goal, recent studies released by UCLA, USC, and the Public Policy Institute of California demonstrate the economic benefits of providing a path to legalization to undocumented immigrants. Current national polls as of November 2009 indicate that two-thirds of Americans favor providing a path to legalization to undocumented immigrants, yet Obama's and Congress' position remains the same: "No se puede."
The continuing neglect of immigration reform not only ignores countless studies about the economic benefits, it also ignores the hardship endured by millions who live in American society as de facto second-class citizens, and the ongoing intellectual loss of thousands of talented college-going undocumented students. Often referred to as DREAMERs, whose hopes and aspirations are tied to the passing of the Dream Act, they have been waiting for almost ten years for the opportunity to gain legalization and contribute to the economic vitality of American society. As chronicled in my recent book, We ARE Americans: Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream, many DREAMERs exhibit the same drive and determination that led recent famous immigrants to this country -- people such as Jerry Yang, the co-founder of Yahoo, or Sergei Brin, the co-founder of Google -- to create Fortune 500 companies that employ thousands of American workers and donate millions of dollars to social causes. In light of overwhelming research evidence and public support for providing a path to legalization to the undocumented, I remind Congress and President Obama: Yes we can, Si se Puede!
In other words, if we rid ourselves of the 20 million illegals, wouldn't there be more jobs?
wake up soon we are going to become a third world county. Its bad enough we are controlled by
everything but how many of us Americans have proper access to enough food medical care and housing
when is enough enough?
A total clam down on employers that hire illegal immigrants, including massive fines and possible jail time. Of course, the government will need to come with an easy and foolproof way for employers to quickly verify the status of any worker they are about to hire.
Family reunification needs to be eliminated except for the children of US citizens that are under 18. Most US immigration falls under the family reunification policy. It is next to impossible to get a green card unless you fall under the family reunification category.
Eliminate H1B visa program which keeps many foreign workers in indentured servitude to one employer for six years.
Implement a points based for immigration like in Canada and Australia. The government would issue a list of occupations that are in job supply in America once a year. You get points for having a degree, work experience in the field, your age (the younger the more points) and the ability to speak English.
Immigration should also be reduced when the economy is in a downturn like know or can be increased when the unemployment rate is very low.
Why can't our government do this? I think this type of reform would get a lot of support from most Americans but of course not from immigrant special interest groups.
Trust me legal immigration for a husband is cumbersome and if you don't have the money (about $3000), time(about a year you are not allowed to visit the US), and legal skills (try for once to find out what you have to do, and trust me nothing will turn out the way it is described on any government homepage), you will not succeed.
Besides, I know legal immigrants from other countries than mine, and it is also tremendously beneficial to be white and male.
A lot of sea rise and anthropogenic global warming skeptics are fond of waiting to see what happens if the climate goes or is already going over the tipping point or if sea levels actually rise significantly. They sometimes propose amazingly well coordinated mass migrations that would make everything ok. They even express sympathy for the poor living nearly at sea level and they are not uncharitable. Oddly, they are very often the same people screaming the loudest about illegal immigration.
It is conceivable that many undocumented workers in the U.S. are actually climate refugees -- who among us can say with certainty that spreading drought in agriculture dependent areas to the south is not the leading edge of permanent climate change? If they were called climate refugees,would we have a change of heart?
There are already some island nations that are actively seeking resettlement because sea rise is making their traditional home untenable. Are we ready to receive such people with the magnanimity and pragmatism that we claim, or do we demand that they look elsewhere? Are we even ready to absorb into inland areas Floridians who ponder their fate after notification that their home insurance is being cancelled? Should those without foresightful government and negotiated agreements be denied on a legal technicality? Where's the plan?
We have to do something but I don't know how much would get accomplished now
What illegal immigrants need to do is protest in Mexico to create greater education and job opportunities for its own citizens. Protesting to be given more rights in America while waiving Mexican flags and chanting in Spanish has no chance in Hades of succeeding in this political environment.
January 2008 = Start of Deportaion/Starvation of good hard working Immigrants, and their "Leagal children"
January 2008 = Start of the "Worst Recession in U.S. History!
"Magic Repair" for our Economy? Fix what Really Broke it!
Si se Puede!
Yes We Can!
To: Good and Brotherhood from sea to shining sea!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/05/BA431BT666.DTL&tsp=1
With Americans scambling to find any work they can find with record unemployment and homelessness, do you really expect the President or any major political party to get behind giving illegal immigrants jobs that could be going to American citizens? Not a chance.
The E-verify Law and the I.C.E. Deportaion program both started January 1st, 2008.
The worst "Recession" in U.S. History began at the exact same time, January 2008.
A Depression is not just a Recession, try first grade again?
(This time don't chew the pencil lead?)
Millions of Immigrants Dwellings were vacated literally overnight, after January 2008.
For simpletons that think they are smart, let me explain;
Phoenix Az. for example now has approx: 30% less Tax Base, than as counted all along by the U.S. Census Bureau to base the size of our Government Services on.
The State is now Gutting Government/trying to raise Taxes to match their now Smaller Base.
Besides "Triggering" the home Forclosure Crash of our Banking System, and puttting a massive hole in the "Real Estate Bubble" these Immigrants now vacated Dwellings, either homes or apartments, have made Phoenix approx: 30% overbuilt, Completly Halting Construction and Growth, causing Arizona to have the highest number of lost Const. related jobs in the entire Country.
In short the Hard Labor these Immigrants do is Vital to our Strong Economy!
Though Narrow minded people say Americans want these jobs, The TRUTH is they DON'T!
Fact: These Immigrants Hard Devoted Labor supports All other Jobs!
A wise 1840's French Historian said: "America is great, because it is good, when it ceases to be good, it ceases to be great."
To: Liberty.
Americans are not obligated to rewards criminals, and that is what illegal immigrants are, straight and simple.
That they should be clamoring for further rewards is extremely ridiculous. They should be content they aren't rounded up and forced to go back to where they came from.
We need to remember the "Good" Principles and "Values" that built our Great Nation.
The U.S. Border Patrol used to maintain water stations in the U.S. desert to help these Immigrants on their rough journey here.
P.S. When Americans live together unmarried/Ilegally are they criminals?
After a few years they are considered "Common Law Married" Legally.
Perhaps after a few years these parents of citizen children are "Common Law Citizens?
They definitly deserve to be treated as "Human Beings"!
To: The Good America.
Not as far as I can see. Ignoring a problem is never going to address it. The health care/insurance reform never addressed this. So the illegal imigrants should return to their country of origin if they get sick? Can the extremely poor afford to return to Meico for treatment? If they don't make it before burial or treatment...what then? If they infect citizens in the US before they make it back to Mexico what then? Wo pays for the poor that infected...I am guessing it's not the corporations that employ them.